


There's Only One

by niallcomein (humanlikeyou)



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-10
Updated: 2014-12-10
Packaged: 2018-02-28 22:58:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,968
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2750252
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/humanlikeyou/pseuds/niallcomein
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Inspired by a headcanon by tangledinhindsight.tumblr.com (Nicki) which states that Where Do Broken Hearts Go could be Zayn's message to Niall after he found out about the engagement.</p>
            </blockquote>





	There's Only One

**Author's Note:**

> Be gentle. The ending might be a little rushed, but I treated it the best I could, trying to avoid timeline inconsistencies and such. Also, there is accidentally zero Louis. Sorry bout that. But I do hope you enjoy!
> 
> Thank you to my friend Paige who displayed great enthusiasm for this. Love you.

“Don’t freak out, okay?”

_“Just tell me.”_

“I’m just…”

_“You’re just **scaring** me a little is what’s happening. What’s up? Tell me.”_

“…”

_“Bruv, please?”_

“I’m kind of petrified right now.”

_“Tell me anyway.”_

“I think I like you.”

_“…”_

“Zayn, don’t do that please just… why are you _smiling_?”

_“…”_

“Zayn, you ass-“

_“Just kiss me, stupid.”_

 

x

 

“So…”

_“So?”_

“Do ya think... this is going well?”

_“What is?”_

“The date?”

_“…”_

“Zayn, c’mon.”

_“I’m just messin’. Of course. It’s brilliant.”_

“You sure?”

_“Positive.”_

“……good.”

_“You’re so fuckin’ cute when you smile like that.”_

 

x

 

_“I love you.”_

“…”

_“Niall?”_

“Really?”

_“Serious.”_

“Look right at me and tell me again.”

_“Niall. I love you.”_

“Fuck.”

_“Um…”_

“You’ve got to kiss me right now please.”

 

x

 

_** “I just wanna make you smile, is that okay?”_

“Yes, Zayn. I love you.” **

 

x

 

_“For… ever.”_

“What?”

_“Forever. I’ll make it happen.”_

 

x

 

_“I love you.”_

“Love you too, Z.”

_“No, Niall… you don’t understand, I know-”_

“You don’t have to. I get it.”

_“This is so fucked. I’m sorry.”_

“…”

_“Nialler?”_

“Can’t help but love you anyway.”

 

x

 

“I don’t know if I can-“

_“No, please… stay with me. Please.”_

“I don’t know if I can keep doing this.”

_“No, Niall, don’t say that,”_

“…”

_“Babes?”_

“…”

_“Please don’t cry, please. I can make it better, Niall, please let me make it better. I can do it, promise. I’ll make it good. Good for us, ‘kay?”_

“Don’t.”

_“I can do it, babe. Trust me, please.”_

“When?”

_“What?”_

“When can she just… fuck off?”

_“Soon.”_

“When’s soon?”

_“Give me more time, Nialler, please. I can do it, just please, please give me more time. Please...”_

“…”

 

x

** * _BREAKING NEWS – 1D Member/Teen Heartthrob Zayn Malik ENGAGED*_ **

 

x

 

“Oh.”

 

x

 

_“Fuck… fuck. FUCK.”_

 

x

 

_“OUCH! HAZ, WHAT THE FUCK?”_

**“You better fucking do something about this, Malik.”**

_“Haz-“_

**“I don’t want to fucking hear it, Zayn. I love you but- just fix it before I pull out your fucking teeth. Fucking idiot, you.”**

x

 

_“Niall! There you are, I’ve been looking fo-“_

“Hey Zayn.”

_“…”_

“…”

_“Niall?”_

“Yes?”

_“Ni…”_

“What?”

_“Let me-“_

“I already told you, Zayn. You don’t need to explain. I get it.”

_“…What?”_

“I mean… I get it.”

_“What do you get?”_

“I get that I don’t mean as much to you as you do to me.”

_“WHAT?”_

“And that’s fine. I’ve always known that.”

_“Niall, no you don’t-“_

“It’s _fine_ , Zayn.”

_“Just let me explain-“_

“I said I told you. You don’t need to-“

_“No, I need to-“_

“Stop, Za-“

_“Let me-“_

“I said sto-“

_“No just let me-“_

“YOU’VE ALREADY BROKEN ME ZAYN.”

_“…”_

“…”

_“…”_

“Fucking _looking_ at you is just…”

_“…”_

“Wh- why couldn’t I make you love me enough?”

_“What?_

“Just… just te- tell me what it is. About me. Or what I di- what I did, just tell me.”

_“Niall, nothing…”_

“Just tell me so I can fix myself.”

_“Niall… no…”_

“I NEED TO FIX MYSELF SO JUST TELL ME!”

_“…”_

“Wh- what? I didn’t hear that, Zayn, just tell me.”

_“Said there’s nothing wrong with you. Nothing.”_

“There has to be something Zayn, otherwise-”

_“Nothing, babes, nothing. You’re perfect.”_

“…”

_“…”_

“Then what the fuck, Zayn?”

_“I don’t… I don’t know.”_

“…”

_“…”_

“Anyway.”

_“…”_

“I’m uh… ’M happy for you guys.”

_“Don’t do this Niall, please, I’m sorry…”_

“Don’t do what?”

_“End this.”_

“…”

_“Niall.”_

“You think _I_ -?”

_“What?”_

“Think _you’ve_ made things very clear, Zayn… not me.”

_“No no, I don’t want this.”_

“Of course you don’t. Clearly.”

_“Wait Ni- that’s not what I meant.”_

“Look. I know my place now, it’s fine.”

_“Ni, you’re not listening to me.”_

“I don’t want to listen to you rubbing it in my face that you can keep my heart when I can’t keep yours.”

_“That’s not true, Niall, I love you. I love you so much.”_

“Stop that.”

_“Don’t cry, Nialler, please. I love y-“_

“I SAID STOP IT STOP RUINING ME JUST FUCKING STOP!”

_“…”_

“…”

_“…”_

“Please don’t invite me to the wedding. I think I’d kill myself.”

_“Niall…”_

“I’m sorry, Zayn, I need to leave. Just… looking at you right now… I can’t do this. I’m sorry. I love you too much. I’ll just see you at the premiere.”

_“Ni please!”_

“I’m sorry.”

 

x

 

**“Ni, what are you doing?”**

“Haz! It’s… it’s not…”

**“Fuck, Nialler…”**

“Haz, wait…”

**“Give me the razor?”**

“Haz no, okay? I mean it was just a thought.”

**“Ni, give me the razor, ‘kay?”**

“He said forever, Haz.”

**“Niall, we’ll talk about it later. Right now, I need you to give me the razor.”**

“Haz-“

**“Give it to me, Niall.”**

“Haz no, NO-“

**“YOU’RE BETTER THAN THIS NIALL, GIVE IT TO ME!”**

“GET OFF OF ME!”

**“GIVE IT TO ME, JUST GIVE- There we go. There we go…”**

“Haz, n- no… H-haz?”

**“’S okay Niall, I’m right here.”**

 

x

 

**_ *Perrie Edwards Shows Off ENGAGEMENT RING At THIS IS US Premiere* _ **

x

 

**“Ni, what the fuck.”**

“What?”

**“Don’t do that to yourself.”**

“Do what? All I’m saying is-“

**“Stop. Stop right there.”**

“All I‘m saying is that they looked good together yesterday, that’s all.”

**“Niall.”**

“What?”

**“Stop it.”**

“I mean, can’t I be happy for hi-“

**“NIALL.”**

“…”

**“…”**

“…”

**“Fuck, Niall, c’mere. Hey, shh.”**

“If h-he’s happy, it’s fine… Right?”

**“Not even close, Ni.”**

x

 

**“Niall? Hey, Niall. Hey, wake up. Wake up.”**

“H-huh? What?”

**“Nightmare, Ni. You want me to get you a towel? Your face is all wet.”**

“No… no, just... stay with me, please.”

**“C’mere.”**

“…”

**“I’m gonna kill him.”**

“Don’t.”

**“I want to.”**

“No, you don’t.”

**“…”**

“…”

**“For somebody so introspective, he’s fucking stupid.”**

“Haz.”

**“…”**

“Thank you. I know what you’re doing. But don’t.”

**“… fine.”**

 

x

 

_“Hey, Niall.”_

“…”  
_“Um. You feeling okay?”_

“…”

_“You uh, you’ve been seeming pretty… weak… the past couple months.”_

“…”

_“You need to get more sleep, Ni.”_

“Can’t.”

_“…”_

“Whatever, Zayn. ’M fine. I um… need to go.”

_“Oh… ‘kay. See you ‘round Ni. I… I lov-“_

“Bye, Zayn.”

 

x

 

**“HE’S BEEN A FUCKING WRECK FOR MONTHS, ZAYN!”**

_“DON’T YOU THINK I KNOW THAT? BEEN FEELING LIKE SHIT TOO, HAZ!”_

**“DO YOU EVEN STILL LOVE HIM?”**

_“OF COURSE I FUCKING LOVE HIM, HE’S THE ONLY ONE!”_

**“…”**

_“Always been just him.”_

**“Then what’s Perrie still even doing in the picture?”**

_“I don’t know, Haz…”_

**“…”**

_“Can I still make it right?”_

**“You’ve had all this time to do that.”**

_“I know. But it’s passed and I can’t do anything about that, but I wanna make it right now. Need to get him back.”_

**“So do it.”**

_“I don’t know how.”_

**“Then you better think about it.”**

_“…”_

**“Writing session’s Friday.”**

_“And?”_

**“Have something ready by then.”**

_“But I don’t have anything.”_

**“Then make _something_. And make it count.”**

_“…”_

**“Do you understand?”**

_“…”_

**“Kinda need you to understand, Zayn.”**

_“Will it work?”_

**“I don’t know… But I know Niall loves that crap.”**

_“Yeah. He does.”_

**“…”**

_“…Help me?”_

**“…Fuck you.”**

 

x

 

Harry looked at the other four boys around the studio, which, he noticed, was what Louis and Liam seemed to have been doing as well, except that all three were mostly just going back and forth observing the other two. Zayn was twiddling his thumbs, anxiously waiting for his own next move, and Niall…. Niall was oddly detached from the whole situation, folded in on himself and not looking anyone in the eye.

 

“Can this fucking session just get on then…” they heard him mutter, followed by a visible flinch on Zayn’s face, whose head was suddenly lower on his shoulders.

 

A loud sigh escaped Niall’s lips as the door from across the room opened and Dan entered, guitar in hand. Zayn immediately shot up out of his chair and ran to Dan, locking the door behind him.

 

“Uh, Zayn? What are you doing?” Liam called from his seat beside Niall, who snuggled a little closer to his side.

 

“Um just… hear me out, okay?” Zayn nodded to Dan, who took two stools and sat on one, Zayn taking the other. “I… I’ve been working on some- something and I, I just wanted you guys to hear it first. Just us. And uh, Harry and Dan helped me sort of put this together and I just… Listen to it, yeah?” The other boys nodded, and Zayn wrung the hem of his shirt tightly. He trained his eyes to Niall, whose eyebrows scrunched together as he avoided Zayn’s gaze.

 

“Okay. Let’s um… let’s get it started then.” Zayn cleared his throat as he saw Niall’s grip tighten on his own bicep. “I wrote this because… I think it’s time that… that I did better things. If that makes sense.”

 

With a glance in his direction, Dan started the song on his guitar, slow and sensitive, letting the strings ring a little before moving on to the rest of the melody.

 

x

 

_“Counted all my mistakes, and there’s only one_

_Standing out from the list of the things I’ve done_

_All the rest of my crimes don’t come close_

_To the look on your face when I let you go”_

x

_“It took me some time but I figured out_

_How to fix up a heart that I let down”_

x

_“Tell me now, tell me now,_

_Tell me will you ever love me again?”_

x

Zayn was panting when the song ended. He sang with abandon, carrying the hope of a rekindled love in each lyric, not daring to open his eyes for fear of that hope vanishing upon the sight of disinterested blue eyes. His breath caught when he did, though.

 

Niall sat on the edge of the cushion, his back straight and his eyes wide, still staring at Zayn’s lips, and up to his eyes now that they were open. The room stayed silent as Niall studied Zayn, his eyes watering all the while. When he couldn’t take the gaze any longer, Niall shifted his focus to nothing and everything before he stood abruptly and ran to the door.

 

“WHY WON’T IT FUCKING-“ he hastily fiddled with the doorknob for a couple of seconds before he managed to yank it open and run out into the hallway.

 

“NIALL, FUCK, WAIT,” Zayn yelled, knocking over the stool he was on to chase Niall down.

 

x

 

_“Niall! Wait, fuck, wait please!”_

“WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING ZAYN? SINGING TO ME? WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON ZAYN, HUH?”

_“Niall I just wanna talk, **please**.”_

“I can’t believe you’re still doing this to me.”

_“I’m just trying to make this good again.”_

“FOR YOU! You’re trying to make it good for you! You’re trying to have your cake and shove it in your fucking face, too. I can’t do that, Zayn, it’s not fair.”

_“I broke up with her.”_

“…”

_“I broke up with her, and the press is gonna hear about it any second.”_

“Wh- what?”

_“I don’t love her, Niall.”_

“What- what are you saying?”

_“I guess I’m… asking. If you could possibly still love me?”_

“Z…”

_“Niall. Could you love me again? I need to know. Is that… something that could happen?”_

“Y- you can’t do this, Zayn…”

_“Niall, please tell me.”_

“Z-zayn, wait… wait.”

_“Could you love me again?”_

“…”

_“Niall?”_

“…”

_“Niall, what did you say? Just now - what did you say? Niall please tell me, please.”_

“You know I can’t help it. You _know_.”

_“Fuck... Niall…”_

“You’re a fucking bastard. You know that? A proper fucking bastard.”

_“Is that a yes?”_

“Fuck, Zayn…”

_“Niall, look at me.”_

“…”

_“Niall, I’m begging you, look at me.”_

“…”

_“Do you think you could find it in you to let me make you love me again?”_

“…”

_“…”_

“…”

_“What was that?”_

“I still fucking do.”

_“…”_

“…I hate you for it.”

_“I will fix this, ‘kay? I promise.”_

“Zayn…”

_“Yes, Ni?”_

“I don’t think I can handle that again…”

_“You won’t have to. Promise”_

“Please don’t make me.”

_“I love you so fucking much Niall. I won’t let you down again.”_

**__ **

**Author's Note:**

> Please feel free to comment and critique! I fucking love that shit.


End file.
